A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal

A Functionalist Approach to Democratic Innovations




AuthorsJäske Maija, Setälä Maija

PublisherTaylor & Francis

Publication year2020

JournalRepresentation

Volume56

Issue4

First page 467

Last page483

eISSN1749-4001

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1080/00344893.2019.1691639

Web address https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00344893.2019.1691639

Self-archived copy’s web addresshttps://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/43824927


Abstract

This article argues that it is important to analyse different democratic innovations in terms of their functions in democratic systems. For example, while citizens’ initiatives have a role in agenda setting, practices of citizen deliberation should help collective will-formation and referendums facilitate collective decision making. The article provides a framework for the analysis of various instruments of direct, deliberative and participatory
democracy based on their functions, and evaluates five democratic innovations from the perspective of this framework. It is pointed out that, when properly used, even advisory participatory instruments have a potential to improve the functioning of representative decision making. Moreover, the article shows how democratic innovations can functionally complement each other.


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Last updated on 2024-26-11 at 16:07